A search and rescue mission unfolded on one of Colorado’s most technical ridgeline traverses on August 2.
At about 11:33 a.m. on Sunday, Alamosa Volunteer Search and Rescue asked members of the public to avoid the Blanca–Little Bear traverse route, which connects 14,350-foot Blanca Peak to 14,041-foot Little Bear Peak via very exposed class five terrain. The reason for the request was due to a fallen climber, with this traverse flanked by big drop-offs on each of its sides. To emphasize how extreme this route is, it’s described as “the most dangerous and difficult of the 14er traverse routes” on 14ers.com.
The mission concluded later that day, and while Alamosa Volunteer Search and Rescue hasn’t released their full recap of the situation just yet, the team did note that the individual was hoisted from the scene via the National Guard.
This route is typically tackled in the direction of Little Bear to Blanca, as this allows climbers to travel up Little Bear’s ‘Hourglass’ section opposed to having to downclimb this stretch. It is unclear what direction the person who fell was traveling or what caused the fall. No information about injuries or identification has been released at this time.
Look for additional information to follow in days to come.
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